Day 8 Bardonecchia to Vesoul

I managed a fairly prompt start and was actually on the road at 09:00 with only a little rain. I'd decided to take the Frejus tunnel to avoid the risk of the cycle race I'd nearly got stopped by last year, to save 100km and finally to put me in line for the Col de Madelaine.

At €21.40 the tunnel isn't cheap, nor easy to have the right change for, but did speed me along. I was soon at the col and it is very pretty and less severe than most. However it was wet and misty which made it hard to find any photo opportunities.

As I headed north the ski brightened which made the slow slog through Annecy just about bearable. Soon I moved into the Jura again and this gave rapid progress and very pleasant surroundings. It wasn't raining much either! After some sun and the idea that I might dry-out a large black cloud descended and it was obviously raining underneath. It was quite a little storm. Strong winds, lightening and lots of standing water on the roads. I wondered if there was anywhere to stop and shelter. Very soon the decision was made as the engine died and refused to restart - quite obviously a lack of sparks. I was still 80km from Vesoul but apart from that it couldn't have happened in a better place. The road was quiet, level and the failure was only 100m from a hardware store which was open. I pushed the Alp into the carpark and went in search of WD40 in the assumption that bike OK, then rain, then stopped implied water in something and probably nothing serious. I squirted the sidestand switch, up around the HT coil, plug, cap and lead. Then all that again and it started first press.

A local policeman arrived and I wondered if I was to be in trouble for not wearing a fluorescent waistcoat (I wasn't on the road anyway). But actually his Citreon had died and he telephoned for help before pushing it into the carpark too. That was a good time to leave.

In the light rain to Vesoul the Alp ran fine so hopefully the problem was limited to a wet plug cap or such. In two days time I might wonder otherwise; but who can predict the future?

It really was my lucky day as restaurant within sight of the Formule 1 did a set vegetarian menu of salad, tofu stir fry and sorbet for €12, the half bottle of rose was extra.

471 km